Professional Fangirl- Katelyn Benschoter

After exactly one year since Wicked’s release date, the long-awaited part two, Wicked: For Good, is finally here. Even if you never went out and saw Wicked, you most likely have been aware of its impact, and the worldwide phenomenon that it has become. From the memes to the ads, and of course, the songs, Wicked has become a pop culture moment. That being said, there has been a lot of buzz around the second half, months before it even came out. And personally, I could not have been more excited. Finally, it was time to see it, twice in four days to be exact. I enjoyed myself and cried a lot. I have become completely and utterly obsessed with the story, the songs, and the characters. I have been changed for good, if you will. That being said, there are some things I was disappointed in, but ultimately these aspects did not outweigh the good for me. This was a solid four-star movie that I will be watching again in the near future.

To start off, the visuals just as the last film were fantastic. The colors and costumes play such an important role in the film, and were stunning to experience. On my second watch, I saw it in IMAX, and it was spectacular. From the colorful poppy fields to Elphaba’s vibrant green skin, it was perfect. The costuming was also wonderful, and had lots of wonderful details. From Glinda’s beautiful ballgowns to Elphaba’s now viral sweater, to the scarecrow’s uniform with straw poking out. These small details may feel replaceable and that they may not add much to the overall story, but combined, they become a very powerful attribute. On the note of costuming, and general mise en scène, two of the standout features of this film were the tin man and the scarecrow. These are two classic characters originating from The Wizard of Oz, so they could easily be overlooked. But their costuming, makeup, and acting were showstopping. Ethan Slater inevitably became a bit of a meme after the first film, but his performance in the second film as the tin man was incredible. To put it plainly, the tin man made me uncomfortable. One of my personal beliefs is that if a piece of media can make me feel uncomfortable, it has done something right. Overall, this film was a delight to see, as well as hear.

On the note of hearing, this film is a musical, so sound plays a very important role. Overall, the vocals are incredible. Cynthia Ervio’s voice truly is a blessing. A personal highlight in this film was “No Good Deed.” This song was gorgeous. She gave it such power and life; it really helped move the narrative along. Musicals can run the risk of having a fun musical number that contributes nothing to the overall plot, this was not that. It is memorable, powerful, and key to understanding Elphaba as a character. Also notably the title song of the film “For Good” was beautiful. I heard many people sniffling in the theater from even just those first few notes. Cynthia Erivo’s and Ariana Grande’s voices just blend so well together. It feels like pure magic when they sing together. All that to say, there were some disappointments when it came to the singing. Firstly it is the casting of Michelle Yeoh. She is known for her roles in Everything Everywhere All At Once and Crazy Rich Asians. She is a very talented actress, but she is not a strong singer. She is not tone deaf or anything, but to be cast in one of the biggest movie musicals in the last ten years, and not be that strong of a singer is disappointing. Especially when she plays an important character such as Madame Morrible. She is supposed to be evil and threatening, but instead, I am distracted by her weak singing abilities. Moving on there were also two original songs made especially for the new film. One of these hit hard, and one fell flat. Starting on a low note, the song “The Girl in the Bubble” is sung by Ariana Grande’s character Glinda and sounds good, as Grande is an excellent singer, but it feels like an Ariana Grande song, not a song that should be in the Wicked musical. The song’s purpose is to give audiences a more in-depth look into Glinda’s life. She may seem like she has the perfect life, but she does not. That being said, it does not progress the plot forward in any way. This is fine information for the audience to know, but not needed in any way. The film is already lengthy, and I would much rather the film spent time on a different plot point. To end on a high note, the other original song, “No Place Like Home,” sung by Cynthia Erivo’s character Elphaba, added a lot to the film. It gave us an insight into the greater meaning of the film, and reflects a lot about our current culture. She sings, “If we just keep fighting for it, we will win back and restore it. There’s no place like home.” This song is well done, relevant, and moves the plot forward. As the film is a musical, there is a lot to be said about sound, and in general, it is amazing, and the good really does outweigh the bad here. 

Going into this film, I fully expected to like it as I love musicals, the cast, and the story of Wicked. But it did manage to exceed my expectations. I think this film is powerful and important, and was done very well. Despite my few complaints as mentioned prior, the film impressed me. When I say I have been thinking about how beautifully all the storylines and themes come together in this film, I really mean it. This film is very good, and if you have yet to see the first Wicked, I would highly recommend doing a double feature, you are in for a wild ride, and will be changed for good.